Dan

Interesting boats, which love or hate have had a fair influence on several successful designs since There is a photo of one like yours, as new here http://www.fbwilds.horning.org.uk/page9.html Dan

I don't think you'll only get them through at low water but you would have to keep an eye on it as they probably wont just fit under any time, and re-building the superstructure on another one might see you a little unpopular?! Dan

In fairness Gracie, knowing him fairly well I took these at the beginning of the trip before he brought all his parafanalia aboard and made a right old mess! Dan

Looks smart, and the proportions look to work nicely at 38ft. Might a new high end 2/4 berth with island double aft like Broadlander appear at any time soon, like for 2015 or is it 4/6 berths all the way for a bit? Dan

Here you go John - Major Gem 2 from last week...

Just got home, really enjoyed the meet - great to see everyone and thanks to all who organised it Dan

Blimey - cant anyone make a mistake these days without people expecting compensation!? Was it even the companies error? Anyway.... Dan

"Simply Bonkers" it would appear John, from Craig's site. Ex Maffetts - perhaps Neil will be bidding? Dan

Sounds interesting John, do you know her name or reg number? Dan

Great news.... I'd seen the odd thing with Faircraft doing something with it but good to see it launched and without the expected initial limitations/restrictions (such as only some boats, free for so much useage etc etc) that so often then get broken down and removed only over a period of time. Until everyone gets on the bandwagon this will be a great competitive advantage and will be dead useful whilst one is partaking in a little boating Dan

Careful what you think, worry about or consider unlikely ... what ever it is - what you think about inside your head is normally then created in your world! (Whether it's good or bad and good for you or bad for you!) Dan

Yes, I think you're right... but is it as much fun? Dan

Looks nice that and nicely proportioned, the idea of two at each base sounds exciting too... I will have to get round to hiring from Acle one time Dan

I'm a bit amazed at the level of annoyance & lack of tolerance this guy seems to have caused/created! I think we all want different things from a potential home, someone into technology probably wants technology, I would think most of us have modified our homes to make them what we want and probably wouldn't live in someone else's without changing it at all. I understand most like people similar to themselves, but this is a TV programme, the odds of them not being people we want to have dinner with are surely pretty high? I find the intolerance & frustration expressed by the presenters more annoying to be honest given this is their chosen path and from what I can see accommodating peoples (perhaps exasperating) wants & desires and helping them to compromise surely goes hand in hand with the job or the programme and they are redundant if it is easy or people just sort it themselves? Dan

Yeah, there was something I read fairly recently about a Silverline boat being crewed (by Silverline) on a trip to the centre for something a bit tourismy. Was it something connected to making more of Norwich's river by tourism/council peeps? Rings a bell as something like that, so I would think the photo comes from that trip, rather than mischevious hirers or it being ex hire Dan

I suspect if Swancraft have marketed & shouted about this from the rooftops their bookings will do rather well until the other fleets get onboard with the idea.... giving people what they want is normally pretty successful commercially, and whilst to some the apperal of a Broads trip may be to leave all this behind I suspect rather a high number of people would like the tinterweb when they moor up for the day, and to those who have never visited before it would appear to be a draw in selecting a cruiser. Dan

They are an Aquafibre mould with a Haines fitout. I looked inside one when I was there (2007) and they were nice quality almost new boats then and I did quite like the interior Dan

For the 1988 season Dan

Let it go I say - it's an internet forum, it really shouldn't matter so much

We hired a near identical sister class (Opal Gem) earlier this year and had a good holiday. The saloon is sociable (the galley also), the sliding top is great to enjoy the sun & get under the bridges with in one piece and the handling was OK. On the downside the forward wc/shower is very small, and both toilets seemed to be a bit smelly to be totally honest, though I am not totally sure why. Dan

Yeah, I understand. I think none of the forums are perfect and all have different strengths & appeals. Surely this is what we want if choice is to exist. Each of the forums currently on offer has provided me with both enjoyment & frustration or disappointment in some way over the years. The fact we are still here wanting to post on a Broadland forum says a lot though I think! I think analysing or airing disappointment with the forums (even if with a stash of solid examples to quote) is a bit unfair really, especially on other forums..... I think I was happier when this thread was more of an update on what was going on, and even then is it really needed.... I think we all know at the moment it is going through a difficult transition so if it is down they are just still not sorted, or why not just pose the question on fb or somewhere? Dan

It'd be interesting to know where they were built but I don't think they hit the Richardson inventory until the mid 80s with the acquisition of Bushnells of Maidenhead and then a littler later they made their way to Norfolk to have their 'centre' top section chopped out to go under some bridges Dan

It's an internet forum though? Not the right medium to expect this kind of contact really, especially if you have made it clear to someone you are not in agreement if you look at it afresh, to my mind. Dan

No, they do use a different fuel charge system in the UK I think. In France they charge for engine hours used, using a table of charges that varies to the size of the boat hired. In the UK, on the broads (when they were here) and on the Thames they charge a fuel deposit and then a rebate on return taking into account amount of fuel actually used, just like the Broads yards do. When I hired from them on the Thames this year the charges seemed fine and in line with what you'd expect and not a rip off in my opinion, but certainly no bargain. I doubt they do differently in Scotland but perhaps they do, but I suspect the extras Alan was disappointed by is just the usual fuel deposit add on which does push the initial outlay of the holiday up a fair chunk, but only in the same way as hiring a boat on the Broads. Dan

Hi Jeff They have sold the boats to Herbert woods but are staying on as a booking agent for these craft, so anyone booking one will simply start at Potter Heigham and be 'handled' by Herbert Woods. It is rather poor really, the website seems to be aimed at people who are new to boating and/or not really into boats. This may be the core market they have decided to chase but they have lost their way over the last ten years and alienated the regular bookers that should be another core customer base they are protecting at all cost. It is a shame really. I tend to holiday with them once a year most years (where they are the best option on a set waterway) and to be honest the holiday is always very good, but despite this the brand is not one I am fond of. I think it stems from their un-agreeable website, management & decision making at head office (base is always enjoyable), slightly uncomfortable/wierd brand name, and hard to trust pricing. Short of a major restructure I doubt any big change is imminent but it is a pity. Dan